


Downbeat Blooms

by heroes_with_stories



Category: Mario & Luigi RPG (Video Games), Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Darkness, Dreams, F/M, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Kissing, Locked In, Love, Nightmares, No Incest, No Sex, No Smut, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29971641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroes_with_stories/pseuds/heroes_with_stories
Summary: After Mario has fallen under a spell from Antasma and being forced to work under him, he finds that his heart strangely longs for Peach, a woman that he works with. Her beauty and grace reminds him of flowers, in which he also finds to be gorgeous.
Relationships: Mario/Peach-hime | Peach Toadstool
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Downbeat Blooms

Mario couldn't tell how long the battle was going for. He didn't know how long he could stand fighting against this powerful king that he underestimated.

He could feel his grip on his hammer weaken, he could have sworn that his eyes were urging him to close them. His legs shook, if he wasn't in a battle right now, he might as well have collapsed then and there. His head spun, a blur of cold and dark colors overwhelming his vision. He felt pale and nauseous, wanting to throw up all the pain he was feeling, which was aching throughout his body.

He felt so frail and vulnerable. He could hear Dreamy Luigi in his mind trying to tell him to keep going. That they're almost done. That he shouldn't give up now. But it was difficult, as his own strength and abilities started to fade, and even with his and Dreamy Luigi's attacks combined still didn't do much. He didn't want to give up hope, but his mind kept thinking about how much he wanted this battle to just end.

'Come on! I know you can keep going!' It was easy for him to say, coming from someone who wasn't taking all of the hits he possibly could. Mario could sense Dreambert's mild concern for the condition this battle was going towards, and he was right to. He himself was also concerned.

He wanted this misery to end, he wanted his aching to stop. He didn't want to continue fighting, as every blow he tried to make made his body feel as if he was being stabbed. Though, perhaps he should take it quite literally, as Antasma was sending multiple light balls towards him, and he couldn't easily avoid all of them.

He ended up dropping his hammer and collapsing onto the floor, staying awake but his reality sleeping. He stared down at the stone cold floor, seeing some of his blood drip out of his mouth and cheek. His hands were placed on the ground to keep him from completely plopping down, but even then, his arms were shaking tremendously.

He could feel someone picking him up from behind, and it took a moment for him to register that it wasn't someone trying to end his pain. It was Dreamy Luigi, who tried to encourage him to keep going.

"Hey, you can do it!" He exclaimed, though his voice expressed slight fear as he saw his practical brother in such an afflictioning state.

Mario looked up to see Antasma simply staring at the two with a mischievous smirk. His dark eyes read that he had something else planned, like he wanted to say something. Or do something.

Though, the hero in red shook his head, facing the ground. His weight felt as if it wanted him to fall to the floor, but Dreamy Luigi kept his grip on him as he tried to help him keep balance. Mario's eyes scanned the ground before speaking, "I-I can't-"

"Yes you can!" Dreamy Luigi retorted. "I know it's hard, but we've gone all this way! We can do this together!"

As nice as that sounded, the statement to him gave him doubt. He could barely pick up his weapon or attack without only causing himself more aching. He could barely see what was in front of him without feeling as if he was looking inside of a kaleidoscope. But, he could barely simply lay there without feeling horrible about himself. He knew he usually wasn't like this, so he knows that he cannot stop now.

Dreamy Luigi slowly let go of him, and he attempted to pick his hammer back up again, getting into a pathetic attempt at a battle position. The large part of the weapon was touching the ground, his legs continued to shake uncontrollably, and his head was hanging by a thread. He could taste the metal-feeling blood that continued to drip down from his lips.

The bat king even laughed at that, letting out a comment, "Why, this may be the vorst battle I have vought in. Zit is pathetic how someone considering a, ah, hero is represented as someone veak as zis."

Dreambert floated forward, scowling. "Enough! Such an imbecile such as you should not be allowed to make such foolish comments such as those, especially since you have been trapped in the dream world for your crimes."

"Crimes!" He emphasized. "Why, my apologies vor breaking zat… zat toy you call the dream stone," Antasma mocked. "But at vast, soon, all the vorld will be corrupted by the darkness and zey vill know the true power of the bat king! I have been waiting for vis for as long as I have been locked in ze dream vorld… and now I vill shine again!"

Dreamy Luigi shook his head. "Not if we have anything to do with it!" He got into a fighter stance, one much more confident and effortless than Mario's. "Come on, bro, let's show this guy what we got!"

Antasma let out a chuckle once again, the feeling within Mario still lingering— as if he has more planned than continuing to trap him within nightmares and throwing powerful balls of energy at him.

He had a feeling that this battle won't end too well, and that Antasma was saving up for an attack that will finish him. And though Mario didn't enjoy looking at the darker side of things, he could only think about his thumping pain and the blood dripping down his body.

He wishes that he didn't have to take vacations without having to go on another adventure, or without going on the edge of the cliff before death. Without worrying about the princess's safety, about what could have happened to her.

Peach… He really was worried about her. Just the thought of her gave him the push to keep going, to find out how she's doing, to see if she was alright. But at this moment, it didn't feel like it wasn't enough, and his heart ached.

Mario glanced up at his opponent and tried raising his hammer, looking directly at him with serious eyes. He knew he shouldn't give up, especially since he and Luigi have gone so far now. Especially since he has someone he needs to save in the end.

"Ah! You wish to continvue?" Antasma glanced down at him. "Well then, we shall continue! And I am not taking any breaks vis time, we will battle 'til vone of us gives up!"

As so, the two continued their battle. If Mario wasn't smart, he wouldn't have suspected that Antasma's attacks were only growing stronger, and Mario was only growing weaker. It felt he was being dragged by Dreamy Luigi to go through with the attacks and dodging.

'Come on, Mario, keep it up!' Mario heard his voice inside of his head. He appreciated the encouragement, but it didn't help when he was on the verge of collapsing then and there.

Knees weak and arms trembling, he continued to try and attack with wordy encouragement from Dreambert, support from Dreamy Luigi, and motivation from Peach and the real Luigi. Mario kept saying to himself to keep going, and he used all of his remaining strength to keep pushing through.

It wasn't until later in the battle when he started to feel oddly sleepy. His eyes became heavy, and his heavy breathing was the only noise that stood out to him. He could feel stingy pain coming from his back, as if there was something poking him… or something coming out of him.

He glanced over behind him without much thought, and before he could even catch a glimpse, he could feel tremendous force make contact with the side of his torso, which made him fall to the ground and drop his hammer, not knowing where it had gone.

He simply laid there for a few seconds, his eyes closed. He felt too weak to get back up as he laid on the ground in which he was fighting on. He opened his eyes after a moment to see a miniature pile of blood formed from the dark red liquid dripping out of his mouth.

'Mario! Get up, bro!' Dreamy Luigi pushed, his voice filled with worry. 'Come on, you have to keep going—'

His voice was interrupted by Antasma, who chuckled as he approached Mario closer. "How very pathetic. The hero, known throughout vall the lands, who has saved universes and kingdoms, can't even vight… ah, a puny bat such as I?"

As much as he wanted to retort, Mario couldn't find the words to do so. As he desperately wanted to get off of the ground and regain strength, replenish his health and have his body be healed back to normal, the thought of closing his eyes and taking a nap was lovely. He knows he cannot do so, unfortunately.

Antasma continued to speak. Mario flinched. Every inch the bat made, every breath he breathed, every word that was spoken, he mentally prepared himself to be hit once again. That a finishing blow would be dealt, and his game would end.

He attempted to stand up, and his blurry eyes faced the ground. He was shaking rapidly, seeing the blood drip from him. He wanted to keep going. He didn't want to fail anyone. Not Luigi, who was sleeping in the outside world, nor Peach, who was waiting for her heroes to come and save her. Not the Pi'illo Kingdom, which was in danger at every current second, and not the world, which may be under the evil wrath of Bowser or Antasma.

But he just couldn't. He fell back onto the ground with a grunt, his head bashing against the floor. If he was any weaker, he would have blacked out from it, but he clung onto his consciousness as he tried to steady his breathing and ignore his terrible affliction.

"You vill not stand? Have you given up?" Antasma questioned. When a response didn't come, he sighed. "Very well, then… as it is quite sad to see vou on the floor like that, I might as well get on with vat I want to say."

Mario expected him to just say some nonsense that wouldn't matter to him once he had his game ended. That the world will be overtaken by despair and nightmares and other horrible things that he has heard countless times.

"Join me, hero of vall." The sentence wasn't one Mario could register right away. The few seconds after he did, his eyes shot open from the confusion as he could only stare at the purple blur of colors.

Join him…? What does that even mean? Join Antasma in causing destruction to the world? Join him to bring suffering onto others, like the pain he's currently feeling now? And when he was done with Mario, throw him away? Finish him off?

He was lost, but Antasma tried putting him on the right track. "I vill give you all the power you want. You vill live in peace and tranquility, and there vill be no suffering upon you. I vill make sure of this, as long as you join me."

'Mario! No! Don't listen to him!' Dreamy Luigi boomed in his mind. 'He's lying, you cannot join him!" His voice was louder than before, which gave a startle. It may have been both from the loss of reality which may come from Mario, or Dreamy Luigi is becoming more passionate. Both made sense.

The thought of joining the bat who has caused harm to all of the Pi'illos sounded horrendous anyway, and Mario responded with a shake of his head. "N-No… I…"

Antasma didn't seem phased by the objection. "Ah, you vould like to do this the hard vay, then? Then I have someone vo has been vaiting for your arrival."

His long fingers snapped together, clicking into a sound that made Mario flinch again. Out of curiosity, he turned his head to see who he had summoned. His mind couldn't resort to other people who have been waiting for him, besides a certain someone…

He squinted to see who had arrived, and his heart almost stopped when he registered it. He didn't have to look much further than the outline of the appearance. Dress, straight hair, a crown on top of her head.

It was Princess Peach, and she looked terrifying as all of her pink, blue, and yellow colors all vanished. Her whole appearance was an abyss black, and her gorgeous blue eyes were replaced with a threatening yellow. Purple smoke steamed out of her, much like the steam that came out of Antasma when she was first kidnapped. She didn't need pupils to tell that she was looking directly at Mario, her soul seeming to be completely drained out of her.

"M-Majesty…" Mario's voice croaked as he stared back at the now corrupted princess. He felt as if a hundred balls of Antasma's attacks was hitting him all at once seeing her in such a bizarre condition. Even Dreamy Luigi didn't say anything about it, and it was likely he was as shocked as he was.

Antasma gave him a sly leer, like whatever plan he had was going smoothly. "Of course, I was already doing vell on my own, but as she was sitting down in her cage so helplessly, I decided to, ah… recruit her, hm? I veel as if it was a better replacement than to end her vight then and there."

"Let her go…" he said, trying to stand once again. "Don't hurt her—"

"Vy, of course I vould not hurt her," Antasma spoke. "Vell… that is, if you agree to join me. She is a very delicate soul, and I do agree that she should be spared… a princess vike her does not deserve to suffer such a tragic vate. So, what do vou say?"

Mario could feel himself fall into some sort or trance. He could feel purple smoke oozing out of his pores, and along with that, he could see the same black substance that was on Peach leak out of his arms, and very slowly throughout his body, like a visible infection.

The voice of Prince Dreambert echoed behind him. "...Dreamy Luigi, get out of there," he commanded.

'M-Mario! Come on and wake up, you're stronger than this!' Dreamy Luigi yelled from his mind.

"Get OUT of there! The spell will consume you also!" And with that urge from Dreambert, Mario could feel Dreamy Luigi exit his body, standing besides the prince of the Pi'illo Kingdom.

Before Mario could turn to see the two of them, Peach walked in front of him, placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. Antasma's face showed behind her's, glancing down at the fallen boy as if he was a child. He didn't have to ask what he wanted to be answered again— Mario already knew.

"I-I…" he looked at them shakily before he winced, the sound of screams of his friends and brother aching every molecule of his mind. The sounds of them being somehow tormented, their suffering wanting Mario to come for them to help them. And for a split moment, he was lost in touch from reality.

"Dear… you can save them…" Peach whisperer to him. "You can save them from the despair they may go through… you only have to say yes."

He couldn't argue with her. After all, he spent years saving her and wanting to make her content and satisfied, so this time around wasn't any different. Though something inside of him wanted to refuse, a slight nod came from them. And though the response was small, the two seemed satisfied with the answer.

And from the moment he said that, he could feel his head becoming light, and his eyes were begging to close. He felt as if he was being kept up by a string attached to his head, and his body felt weak as he sat on his knees. He wanted to collapse then and there, and he didn't seem to wrap around that this may be some sort of spell, and he may be being manipulated at the moment. Either way, he didn't care. He didn't want to feel this aching pain anymore, and it was numbing away from his sudden exhaustion.

"Excellent…" Antasma sneered. Mario could hear voices behind him, one of yelling, and the other of one trying to reassure. The voices sound so ever familiar, but the more he tried thinking about it, the more farther away the answer seemed to be. He could hear the voices becoming softer, his mind not being able to register what was being said. The voices soon disappeared after the sound of some sort of portal came and went. His heart felt dread, but he couldn't put a finger on why.

He stared down at the blood on the floor before he felt two arms being wrapped around him, and his face was covered by someone's chest. A woman, he suspected, was hugging him, her hand being rubbed against his back. He felt the biggest moment of comfort he could remember, and the soft whispers coming from her only made him start to drift off to slumber.

"We'll always be together, okay…?" She assured, her presence remaining so close. Her chest raised and fell from her steady breathing. He felt a hand being run through his hair as she continued to speak, "And I won't be going away."

His body felt incredibly weak. Even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to move at all besides from his stomach breathing and his eyes slowly closing. His ruffled hair did not help with the soothing demeanor. Though her voice was cold, to him it was comforting and loving. Something soft but genuine. He didn't pull away as he let sleep and darkness consume his mind and consciousness, leaving behind memories he couldn't touch and a deep regret he couldn't make out to be what was.

°~☆~°

He remembered waking up on a bed. It was twice the size of a normal one—or maybe it was just of his size— and it was unsettlingly comfortable. Purple blankets covered him up to his chest, and his head was resting on a pillow of the iris color. His hat was resting on a miniature, circular, black table beside him, and everything else was darkness as far as he could see. His whole body was covered by darkness, and he could easily blend in with the room.

He felt very groggily, like he has been asleep for a very long time. His mind didn't have much to think of besides his wonder of the location he was currently at. After all, he couldn't remember anything beforehand, or who was brought here…

Now that he thought about it, who was he? Where did he come from? What was his name? Why was this horrendous feeling of dread lingering within his chest? He asked himself questions he couldn't quite answer, and he found himself staring at the other side of the bed while fiddling with his hands.

Well, he couldn't find answers if he was simply going to only sit there. He started to shift to the other side of the bed, placing his feet down onto the persion and indigo carpet floor. He placed his arms out to help keep balance, and he started to take baby steps. He felt like he was just learning to walk.

The room was basic. There was nothing more than the bed and the table, the walls were a cobalt shade, and the ceiling was gray. There was a window on the other side of the room, which showed an empty kingdom with no light shining. The sky above them was a deadly and threatening purple, no sun or moon illuminating.

He saw his reflection through the glass, and he was caught off-guard from his appearance. There was light, purple smoke oozing out of his body. His entire body was made out of darkness, and his eyes had a yellow glow radiating from them. He couldn't make out what he was wearing, as everything he saw on himself was a solid black.

He continued to glance around the room after he professed that, until he spotted a door on the other side. Maybe the door will lead him to answers, and with that thought in mind, he started to stumble over there.

He was doing quite average so far until he managed to drip over a scrunched up part of the carpet, falling over and landing on the ground with a grunt and thump. He landed flat on his stomach and his forehead smashed against the floor, though the pain wasn't unbearable.

He tried lifting himself off of the ground with shaky arms, but as his muscles were so weak from what apparently was a long time of laying down, he slowly let himself lay on the floor again, closing his eyes. He didn't know how long he was doing to lay there, but the silky carpet was comfortable.

His eyes quickly shot open as he heard the sound of steps coming from the other side of the door, and he glanced over at it to see who may be coming through. He waited and waited, until the door creaked open.

There was someone who looked similar in appearance. Their body was covered in darkness also. He suspected it was a woman, with her long, black hair and her long, black stress and her dark, ebony skin. Like him, she could easily blend in the room with her all dark appearance. What stood out the most was her all-yellow eyes, which slightly glowed.

He has never seen her before, yet he felt as if he has seen her everyday. He felt nervous as she approached him, standing above him. She was a tower compared to him, and he looked up at her with small nervousness still lingering within him.

"You're awake," the voice spoke to him. It was more high-pitched, but it still managed to be somewhat threatening. "Do you remember anything?"

It was a peculiar question to ask someone, but the answer was even more strange. He lightly shook his head at her.

He was befuddled. It may have been from him just waking up, but it was also that he had so many questions that had no answers. He didn't know who this woman was, or WHERE he was at all. He didn't know who he was, or—

"Good. Now, get off of the floor." He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up, much to his surprise. "And follow me, I shall explain some things to you."

She turned around and started to walk, and he quickly followed. His legs didn't feel as weak. Shaky, but nothing that he couldn't handle. She let go of his arm and didn't look back as she walked, her heels tapping against the ground.

He didn't know what else to do besides follow.

He looked around the area he walked out of, and it wasn't as exciting as he thought it would be. The floor was the same carpet as in his room, and the walls were a darker shade of violet. The ceiling was gray, like his room. There was a dead plant that seemed to be knocked over, a pile of water and fallen petals creating a mess.

There was complete silence between the two of them, only the sound of the woman's heels against the floor. His mind became lost in thought as he looked at her shoes, wondering how anyone could walk so easily in those. If he was her, he would walk as shakily as he was back at his room, let alone being able to walk at all.

But, she walked so elegantly, he noticed her confidence in how she walked. He kept her balance, she didn't stumble as she put her heel to the ground, and her toes lifted her up.

He didn't know why he was thinking of this as he blinked out of his thoughts. He looked up at her and noticed she was looking directly at him also, the two stopped in front of a door.

Without much thought, he looked at her and asked her a question. He didn't enjoy her looking at him so blankly, as he felt himself become so unsettled. He didn't even know if she knew the answer or not, but it was a question worth asking.

"My name…?" His voice was groggily, as he never used his voice yet. He fiddled with his fingers again, waiting for an answer and hoping that the silence would be broken.

She seemed confused by this question. He couldn't blame her, since it should have been basic knowledge to know your name. Though, she answered the question straightforwardly. "Your name is Mario. And that's the only thing you need to know about yourself."

The only thing he needs to know? What does that mean? He glanced down at the floor, frowning a little. He felt as if he was some sort of robot who was just created, not knowing anything about himself and gaining knowledge as he went. Processing information and storing them. It was quite fun to imagine.

Mario… What an interesting name. He put his hands behind his back and held him together, looking back up at her after his thinking. "Yours?"

She clasped her hands together, holding them in front of her. "Mine is Peach. I… don't really know anything else about myself."

Mario gently nodded. There was another silence between then before Peach opened the door. "Come inside," she commanded, walking inside herself. There was nothing inside of the room, only a table containing a rose.

She turned and faced him when he was inside. "You have the power to burn objects with only the strength of your hand. Go over there and burn that rose."

Power? He glanced over at the rose sitting on the table and slowly went over to it, picking it up delicately. There was a string pulling on his heart, his heart telling him not to. Such an innocent and delicate object, and someone is telling Mario to burn it with a power he doesn't even know exists.

He glanced over at Peach, helpless. He didn't know what she was talking about, and he didn't know how to summon this power that rested inside of him.

She sighed, rolling her eyes and walking over to him. "It's not that hard. Focus. Focus your mind onto your hand, imagine the flame is there."

Mario looked back down at his black gloved hands and stared at them. It was hard for him to focus, especially since he's being thrown into such a random situation almost right after he has woken up. He doesn't know anything, besides his name and Peach's. He still didn't know where he was, or why he can't remember anything, or what there was to remember. He doesn't know why his heart aches, like some sort of piece of him is missing.

He looked back at Peach, shaking his head as it lightly trembled. He couldn't do it, it was too hard. He hoped she wasn't too mad.

Before he could process, he could feel his chin being held by Peach's finger and thumb. She looked at him eagerly while Mario got a good close-up to her face. He could see the outline of her nose and lips, and her expression was blank. He felt a chill down his spine when he saw her lifeless eyes look directly at his.

"I'm not playing any games, Mario. The boss brought you here for a reason, because you're powerful and capable of working with him. You have been hired to do some serious business, and I doubt he'll be happy knowing you're some coward. Now, do you want to have your game ended by him, or do you want to prove yourself useful and burn down the rose, hm?"

She quickly let go of Mario's chin, crossing her arms to see what he was going to do. And for a moment, he simply looked at her in fear. He didn't know how he would focus now after being threatened, but maybe she just had a rough day?

Either way, he wished he would hide in his room again, under the blanket and away from all the nervousness and confusion he was witnessing.

He looked down at the rose in his hand before slowly closing his eyes, trying to focus on his hand once again. He imagined a flame starting to grow in his hand, and the rose setting on fire, ashes flowy falling from it before it turned into a completely different substance.

And when he opened his eyes to feel heat starting to grow on him, he saw the rose set on fire, covered in purple heat rather than red and orange. It didn't burn or sting his hand, like it has already adjusted to it before.

A rose, which some day has laid in a garden while letting nature do whatever it wants to it, was picked from it's growing spot just to be burned down one day. He thought that it must be a terrible fate to suffer, minding your own business and being as pure as possible before one day being destroyed, terminated from existence. It wasn't a way Mario wanted to go.

He looked up at Peach, wanting to know what she was thinking. She seemed satisfied, not as angry as she was before. He didn't know why she spoke to him in such a threatening and scary way, he didn't enjoy being pushed around like this.

"Excellent," she said. "The boss will be excited to hear about this… for now, I shall show you the basic gist of everything, hm?"

He gently nodded, staying silent. He didn't need to speak, and he had nothing to speak about. He saw her turn and quickly followed her, putting his hands behind his back.

This place was completely strange… Everything was so peculiar to him. He didn't know what was going to happen, or what happened before that made him so lost and confused, but there was nothing he could do at the moment besides listen to what Peach was telling him. Follow her commands, and whoever the boss is.

Was this his life now? Did he even have a life before this? And was this uncomfortable feeling in the deepest depths of his heart going to stay?

°~☆~°

It's been about a week since he first woke up.

He could tell the weakness of his body was fading away, and he felt more stronger and refreshed. But, somewhere inside of him, he could feel something was terribly wrong. Like he was longing for someone or something to come for him. But what exactly was it he was waiting for? What is it that he wants to do?

Meanwhile, Peach has been helping him get used to the way of things. Apparently, they were at this place called the Pi'illo Kingdom, and the place they slept in was the castle. Their job is to find anyone in the shape of pillows and turn them into… pillows. Mario didn't quite understand what it meant, but apparently he inherited some of the power from something called the Nightmare stone that helps him accomplish that job. It helps make him stronger, and it felt great. But there wasn't much he could do with this power, besides the jobs he would be assigned to do.

When he is done at the end of the day, he is told to go back to his room and sleep. He would feel so tired, mentally and physically, that he would sleep for hours and hours, until he would wake up the next day to continue jobs he was assigned.

Peach wouldn't talk to him much, unless it was about anything important. He still felt scared around her, like she would bash his head against the wall at any second. But, he knew he needed her to help him with teaching him. She kept talking about a "boss", and Mario doesn't understand what she means still. If they're apparently his boss, how come he's never seen them yet?

Peach ended up telling Mario two days ago that she would like him to work for her, and he didn't have anything better to do than accept the offer. He was also worried about what may happen if he declined, and he wanted to spend more time with her to hopefully learn some more about her. He wanted to learn more information about why everything is so strange to him, and maybe working with her will give him answers.

For today, he stirred awake from the familiar bed and stood up. The outside world looked the same, the purple sky and the negativity flowing freely. The small amount of light from it radiating his room.

He simply walked out, turning to face his door and seeing a message written on there.

"Terminate the citizens at Mushrise Park before the castle bell rings the second time. Fail, and you will meet consequences."

It was the same threatening message he would get everyday from day one, and though the job was simple and he would usually complete it way before then, he couldn't help but imagine what would happen if he would fail his mission. He made sure to complete his jobs fast and precisely.

He turned and walked over to the entrance of the castle, looking behind him before leaving. He hasn't seen Peach in quite a while. He didn't need to, but there was something about her that quite enjoyed her company. Though she was a bit rude, there were still moments where she was soft and gentle, and he embraced those moments.

For example, when he was figuring out how to activate his "Firebrand", he was struggling and starting to panic, not wanting to face the consequences that were said to come if he failed. He felt a delicate touch on his shoulder, at first not even knowing it was there, and she tried to help him focus.

"Focus," she told him in a quiet voice. Though, when he was finally able to, she pretended that she didn't help him in a way that made his cheeks feel as if they were burning up, just like the tree he burned down.

The feeling came back to him as he was walking down the bridge that leads to Mushrise Park. The glanced around, and he could hear the sound of footsteps and squeaks of fear running away from him, into the hiding spots they must have been hiding at.

They fear him. And for some reason, he felt a tinge of guilt, and his emotions must have been playing with him again. He brought up his Firebrand and looked around, scoping the area.

With the help of the Nightmare stone, he could easily find the source of the Pi'illos, who had the power of dreams. So, he was easily able to discover their hiding spots and eliminated them, watching as their body changed into a sleeping tool.

When he thought he was done, he turned around and started to walk out, until he heard the sound of bushes and whimpering. He must have missed someone, and he slowly followed the sounds he was hearing and approached the bush.

He quickly uncovered it and saw another Pi'illo, and they seemed… young. And scared. Their eyes were tightly closed and they almost screamed, like they were trying to prepare for whatever happened to them. He understood, because after all, seeing someone who was all dark and creepy like him would obviously be at least a little scared.

Mario could only look at them for a second, his heart sinking. He took a small step back and looked at the young one, who didn't move from his position.

If he was caught procrastinating like this, Peach probably would have yelled at him. But how could you end a child like this so heartless-ly?

He looked at the child, his Firebrand still summoned in his hand. He thought about what he wanted to do, and he clenched his fists.

"Run," he croaked out, hesitantly. Even with hesitance, he still didn't register what he said. He continued to step back as he saw the child open their eyes.

They looked at him for a second before they started to fly away as fast as he could, going somewhere far away from there as possible. Mario watched them until they disappeared, and he felt relief.

He looked around to see if anyone was around to watch him and realized that only thirty minutes had gone by, and the second bell would ring in about another hour. He wanted to explore the area a little more, and he decided he should start to find Peach to assist her with her job.

He didn't know why he let the child go as he started to walk around. He really hoped that the boss or Peach would be mad, let alone finding out at all. He started to become nervous at the thought, but his heart told him it was the right thing to do. And he wanted to listen to it.

There was complete quietude as he walked around, and it slightly made him unsettled. His mind was lost in thoughts, and he went wherever his feet took him.

He found himself making his way over to Mount Pajamaja, and he could tell he was getting close to where Peach was by the sound of destruction coming from somewhere around his right and he followed it.

He looked up at one of the lower levels of the mountain and saw that she was sitting down on the ground, staring out in the distance. Her hair was flowing through the wind as her blank expression remained, not noticing anyone was there yet.

There were a bunch of pillows lying around, which means she must have completed the job she was assigned to do. If that was the case, he didn't need to be here to help her.

He was about to turn around, but stopped when he thought about her being alone. Maybe she's upset and needs someone to talk to. He looked back up at her before he started to venture up the mountain, nervously.

Everything seemed very familiar to him, but he didn't know why. The place was completely silent, and he could have sworn he remembered being here when this place was more active. But, since all the times he has been here since he's woken up, he never was here when it was bustling with activity.

By the time he got up to the level on the mountain, Peach didn't seem to notice him yet. Mario simply stood there for a moment as he looked at her, wondering if he should go sit by her or if he should turn and walk back.

He winced a little, placing a hand on his head. There was mingy pain growing from his head, and he couldn't process why. It was so sudden and sharp that it made him jump and gasp out of surprise, closing his eyes and trying to somehow ease it.

He started to hear wails of agony, voices that were familiar but he couldn't quite touch upon. He could hear his name being called, cries of agony, and the sound of winds blowing, fire crackling, and buildings falling overcame his mind. It was absolute chaos, and it made him fearful.

The pain only got worse, and he placed both of his hands on his head. "Gnn…" he murmured, starting to tumble and eventually falling onto the ground. He didn't know if Peach was noticing this, but all he wished for at the moment was for this horrible pain and sounds of despair to end.

"H-Help…" he whispered. He didn't know who, but he hoped that something would stop this situation. He didn't know what was going on, is he somehow under some sort of spell?

He could feel a hand on his head, and his eyes shot open when all of the noises and headache stopped. He looked up and noticed that Peach was kneeling besides him, looking down at him. Her hand was placed on his forehead, as if she somehow took all of this agony away.

Why was this so familiar? Like he has been in this situation before? Has he been in distress and fear like this before, and Peach has come to make him feel better?

"P-Princess," he murmured, and he flinched. He didn't mean to say that, he didn't even know how that came out of him. She wasn't a princess, as far as he knows, so why did he say that?

He's so weird.

She didn't seem confused about what happened, instead she seemed uncomfortable. She continued to have her hand on her head before she murmured, "Rest…"

And almost instantly, he started to drift off, falling asleep after a moment. The world around him became quiet, and he could feel his body being picked up as he fell into slumber.

°~☆~°

It's been about six months since he first woke up.

Every day was always the same. Mario would be assigned a job and he would be tasked to complete it. He would visit Peach to see if she needed help with anything, and he would either do exactly that or go home if her mission was completed. They have never interacted outside of their work, and they would only be together for no more than thirty minutes.

Today, a new mission and note was placed on his door when he walked out. He looked behind him and read it.

"Obliterate Mushrise Park. Fail and you will meet consequences."

A bit of a different mission than usual, but he doesn't mind. It was simply just destroying a part of the kingdom, how hard could it be?

And so, to fulfill the mission, he walked out of the castle and outside to Mushrise Park during the chilly morning. As far as he could tell, all the Pi'illos have been dealt with, and there should be no more that remains. So, this new mission should be a piece of cake, and there shouldn't be any distractions.

Distractions… Well, except for one thing. Recently, he couldn't help but have Peach on his mind. She's just so self-assured and sharp-witted, and her beauty is already a distraction as it is. There wasn't much to look at on the outside, but she was almost like a pineapple. Prickly on the outside, with her nerving appearance and her sometimes startling attitude. Sweet on the inside, Mario being able to tell that she has a heart of gold and she does truly care.

Mario didn't know what this feeling was. He only enjoyed being around her at times when she isn't upset at anything, but he couldn't describe this feeling in his stomach where it's twisted in knots.

He crossed the bridge and looked around, seeing it as empty as it was before when he wiped out all of the pillows. The mission only said to destroy it completely, so might as well get started.

He started up his Firebrand (he is starting to get used to it, feeling as if it's as easy as writing) and approached the center of it, standing on top of the mini bridge where a bird statue was standing. He placed his hand on it, and without much trouble at all, it started to set on fire. He stood by it, wanting to feel the heat radiating from it. It was quite chilly, after all.

He let the warmth and the crackling of the fire soothe him as he learned against the railing of the miniature bridge, watching the flames dance back and forth from the wind.

His mind wandered off into a series of different thoughts, but most of them had a connection to Peach, who he wouldn't mind seeing at the moment. Though, he knew she had better things to do than see one of her foolish, weak-minded workers, and he acknowledged that. He could barely form words, let alone try to talk at all. He was small and quite chubby, and he didn't have too much significance to himself. She, on the other hand, was far too impressive to befriend a foolish man like himself.

It was always the same routine every day, and he admittedly started to become bored of it, especially after six months of becoming mentally and physically tired after every day of work. He really wanted to see more of what was outside the kingdom, to see if there were more worlds than this one.

Will the boss really rule all of it, like Peach said they would? How would they even be able to do that?

He noticed that the statue of the strange bird had burned down, and as he walked down the bridge to move on, he noticed a figure walking towards Mushrise Park also, and the figure was far too familiar to think about who it may be. Peach.

He quickly looked away, pretending that he didn't notice her. He approached a pillar and touched it, setting it aflame in mere seconds. He didn't want her to see him simply standing there, as he didn't want her to get the wrong idea of him slacking off. He noticed her walk in and glance at him from the corner of his eye, feeling a chill go through him.

"What are you doing here?" She interrogated, striding towards him with such elegance.

He continued to stare down at the ground shyly. He didn't know how he started to feel these feelings, one day it just hit towards him, like a slap in the face. His heart longed for her, but will he be able to know if she loves him back?

Luckily, with the pure darkness of his skin, she wouldn't be able to tell that he was blushing. "M-My assignment…" he explained.

"Ah…" she inclined her head. "Well, I've gotten the same message also, so I shall best be on my way," she turned her body and walked away deeper into the park.

The way she brought destruction to the park as she walked to another section was that there would be a mixture of purple and pink smoke radiating from her hand, and as she sent a small flick with her wrist, pillars and monuments started to crumble to the ground.

It was admirable. Meanwhile, Mario's was just a boring fire ability, which he didn't mind, but he only thought that she was so cool and graceful…

He sighed, turning around and continuing to destroy everything in Mushrise Park. It didn't take too long, with sparks from other flames setting other things on fire and starting chain reactions, it only took a few minutes for the plaza to be utterly destroyed, everything set on fire.

He looked up, seeing dark smoke rising up to the sky. He always knew that fire created smoke, and that it was always a dark color, but he wondered if the steam radiating from himself was purple and not dark. It wasn't too peculiar compared to other weird sightings he has seen, but it was a question that still lingered in his mind. Was it just that he and Peach were different organisms of life? Did it have some sort of connection with the Nightmare stone? He wasn't quite sure.

His eyes glanced over, and he blinked when he saw one remaining flower within the burning flames that may engulf it if it isn't moved. It was only a hyacinth, and there were a bunch of those around the kingdom along with an assortment of other purple and blue flowers. This one singular one wasn't unique… But it was sitting there so innocently. It has done no wrong.

His mind thought back to the rose he saw when he first arrived here. Where Peach wanted him to burn it down for the sake of testing his powers. He remembered the child in which he was spared a week later.

It seemed as if it was a natural instinct to save that child and the flower. Like he was born to do it, and he's done it for a long time. It seemed like a childish thought, but the feeling of relief when he saved them still lingered within him.

And with that thought in mind, he went over and grabbed the flower, pulling it out on the ground. It seemed like something a young one would do, saving such a lifeless and useless singular flower, but he felt more relaxed after he did. And it was just in time also, when a spark of flame landed right in the spot where the plant was.

Mario looked at it for a second, holding it delicately in his hands. It was very pretty, it was a weird statement coming from someone who is able to bring suffering to people and destroy places no problem, but when a simple flower is in trouble, he wants to save it.

He's so weird.

He started to go to another part of Mushrise Park, but then stopped when he realized that Peach had already obliterated most of the place. Everything was in ruins, statues and trees were burned down, platforms had crumbled, and the place was no longer cheery and colorful like it used to be.

There was a stingy feeling inside of him. He somehow didn't like seeing Mushrise Park this way, it made him feel miserable. But it was what the boss wanted, and he shouldn't disobey. He can't, or he'll get punished.

...That thought also gave him a negative feeling. Was that selfish? He didn't want to be greedy like that. Though, he has been a cause of despair to many people, so maybe it didn't matter at this point.

His mind was swarmed with thoughts as he stared at the flower before he felt himself bump into something, stumbling backwards a little. He looked up and noticed Peach standing there, turning around and looking at him.

"Geez…" she frowned, looking at him. She seemed startled and exclaimed, "Watch where you're going… Are you okay?"

"S-Sorry-" he quickly responded. He looked down at his flower again, anywhere to look at besides her is comfortable.

Mario thought about something for a moment. Peach seems like the type of person to enjoy flowers, so maybe she wouldn't mind if…

He looked up at her before quickly and nervously showing her the flower. She took a step back, gasping at the sudden action.

He could tell her eyes softened a little as she looked at it. She took it in her hands and looked at it, admiring the beauty like Mario was before. Her mind seemed lost in thoughts, as if she was trying to register the situation or thinking of scenarios… or perhaps she was like Mario, who suddenly got strange feelings within her.

But does she appreciate the flower? What is she going to do? Thank him? Reject the flower? His thoughts were overwhelming him and he felt as if pressure was applied to his stomach, making him require more effort to breathe.

She looked at him, putting her hands on his chest. He started to slightly shake, not knowing what she was going to do. He tensed up, continuing to look at her with her soft expression.

And before he could even process it, she shoved him back and made him fall onto the ground, almost knocking the wind out of him. He landed, bashing his head against the grassy ground.

"You're so foolish," she commented. "We don't have time to play these gifting games." Mario could hear her walk past him, and eventually he could no longer hear her steps.

He slowly sat up, placing a hand on his aching head. He glanced towards the direction he walked away from, the only signal of his sadness is his eyes.

That was one way to figure out that she hates him, and his heart was shattered. He hugged his knees and stared at the ground for a moment, trying to register his thoughts. He felt so… empty. Besides the pain he felt in his heart.

And at that moment, he felt a stingy pain in his head, like the one he felt a long time ago. He tightly closed his eyes and put his other hand on his head leaning back against a pile of rubble as he waited for the pain to go away.

He didn't hear screams and cries like the last time. In fact, it was much more peaceful. Almost bland.

He could hear the giggles of a voice, which sounds very similar to Peach's. There was a peaceful aura growing from the sounds he was hearing, and after a few more moments of giggling, the voice beamed.

'Thank you, Mario!'

°~☆~°

A few days later, Mario stirred awake from his bed again.

After six months, he was starting to grow tired from this same song and dance every day. He knew that there wasn't much else he needed to do with his life, but waking up everyday to see an assignment about him causing destruction, then coming back to the castle tired and drained… He didn't know how much more he could take.

He hasn't spoken a word in days, ever since he was shoved to the ground. He didn't need to talk, he didn't have anyone to talk to. He started to feel even worse from the day Peach made that retort. He didn't know what he was going to do with his life.

He felt his stomach being twisted in knots and his heart aching. He didn't know what was going on with him, and he feels like his game will be ended any second.

He walked out of the castle, ready to do his next mission. He was told to check for more Pi'illos around Dozing Sands. He didn't like that place much due to the heat, but a job needed to be done. He didn't want to know what the punishment would be, but he had a feeling he didn't want to know.

He walked around Dozing Sands, and there wasn't much he could find. He couldn't find a single Pi'illo, which he didn't really mind. That means he could take the day off.

Mario never had a day off for such a long time. He didn't even know what he should do for that time, and he's pretty sure Peach hates him after what happened.

He really didn't mean to make her upset. He just found the flower to be pretty, and decided to give it to her as an act of kindness. Did she find it offensive, somehow? Does she not like him back? He didn't know, but he should probably stay away from her for now on as best as he could.

He found his way to Driftwood Shore and wandered around. He could hear the sound of the waves crashing and reaching the sand. It was a calming feeling, and he thought about how he should come here more often.

His eyes caught upon one of the shops there, the Rose Broquet. Outside were a few crates of beautiful roses as the place was no longer being run by anyone. The roses seemed to have remained fresh and lovely, and he twinkled as he approached them.

He picked one of them up, sitting down at the floor as he looked at it. He leaned against the purple crate it resided in and stared at it.

Out of all the flowers, the rose was his favorite. He did enjoy the color red, it made him feel upbeat and confident. Unfortunately, it reminded him of a few days ago as he offered Peach a flower, and she took harsh action.

His breathing hitched as he stared down at the ground, trying to remove the memory from his head. It was upsetting to think about, but he feels like he'll be alone forever. With what happened a few days ago, he lost the only person he could potentially become friends with. He's never even seen the boss or anyone else before, so he felt lonely.

It appeared that only the flowers around here kept him company. They were the ones that made him feel loved. The more he thought about it, the more pathetic he felt.

He sighed, playing with the rose before he squeaked a little, pricking his finger at a thorn. Blood started to drip from his hand, which was completely visible compared to his skin. He placed the rose down and watched the blood drip from his fingers, resting his head on his hand.

He could hear footsteps coming from somewhere, the recognizable sound of heels. He looked up to see Peach approaching him one again, her hands behind her back like she was holding something.

He looked at her, nervously. One thing that he noticed was that her appearance has slightly changed. Her hair was changing from pure black into a lighter color, and her eyes didn't seem as threatening. Mario didn't know why, or what was going on.

She stood before him and lightly smiled, her hair slightly flowing from the wind. "I… I assume both of us had a rough start, haven't we?" She weakly laughed. "...I wanted to say I'm sorry for treating you the way I did."

She kneeled in front of him, and he had to fight back the urge to move back. She showed the object that was behind her back, and it appeared to be a few forget-me-nots, some in the colors of blue and purple.

His eyes widened, looking over at her and realizing she was offering him the flowers. He grabbed them, examining them further. They were basic, like the other one he found a few days ago, but they were still nice-looking.

"Ah, you seem to like them," Peach assumed, and he gave his head a bow at her. She continued, "I think they're… ahem, attractive."

Mario peeped at her, and the side of his mouth raised. "Thank you…" he muttered, looking at her. "I-I'm… sorry for bothering you the other day…"

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry… I should be the one sorry. I was being rude, and… I suppose I just started to realize that I should be kinder."

Seeing her this gentle and honest made this conversation odd, but he didn't mind. It gave him a lovely feeling. "Yeah… Perhaps…" he wasn't paying too much attention to what she was saying.

Peach helped him off the floor, feeling the blood that was dripping from his hand. She looked down at her hand when she saw the blood come in contact with her. "Gosh, what is this from?"

Mario looked over at the rose, which was laying on the ground innocently. One of the petals seemed to have fallen off, in which flew away from the wind coming from the shore. He watched it fly off, going on a mini adventure before it landed on the waves, eventually having it fly into the ocean water. It drifted away further, not knowing where it may go. Would it travel around the world? Will it get eaten by a Cheep Cheep? He wasn't sure, as life was filled with many wonders and mysteries, but the adventure may be a fun experience to go through.

Flowers were easy to be compared to. But, not physically, as Mario wasn't anyone that attractive to look at.

He blinked when he remembered the question. "Pricked myself," he declared.

"Ah… Well, it should close up soon." She turned around and faced the way she came. "I should get going, I have a mission I need to finish back at Somnom Woods… Would you like to come along?"

He almost immediately responded. "Yeah, I would…" he remarked. "I can help you."

And with that, the two headed off out of the shore and to the woods. The walk was quiet, and Mario felt a little awkward, but there wasn't too much to talk about anyway.

He did wonder if Peach was similar to him. Maybe she did have headaches, hearing voices that are familiar but far out of reach in her memory. Maybe she always had a string tugging at her heart, making her feel emotions in ways she doesn't understand. 

Maybe she longs for a friend, like he does. Maybe they could be each other's friend.

He followed her as his eyes scanned the Pi'illo Kingdom that they were walking through. It was silent, Mario couldn't hear anything besides their footsteps and the light wind.

They approached the woods, and the two looked around as Peach said, "Our mission is to find the Pi'illos and deal with them, like normal. It shouldn't be too difficult."

The two started to walk and observe the area. The woods weren't huge, but it was filled with mysteries and potential danger. So, Mario approached carefully.

They've done their usual duties– finding Pi'illos and using the energy of the Nightmare stone to turn them into regular pillows again. They've scouted most of the area in the woods until they've reached every possible spot at least twice.

Peach seemed to know what she was doing. In mere seconds, she would turn Pi'illos into pillows, not showing any signs of mercy. Mario found it both impressive yet threatening, but he tried shaking off those feelings as he focused further into his job.

She eventually turned her head to face Mario and commanded, "It appears nothing remains here. Let's head back for today."

"Okay," he made his reply, and the two turned and started to make their way out of Somnom Woods. Their walk, like before, was hushed. It made him feel uneasy, but he couldn't bother with it too much as his mind wandered through his own thoughts.

Though, they were quickly interrupted when he heard a loud ruffling noise from somewhere, from a bush. The two shot their heads around to scan the area, not knowing exactly where the noise came from but being on alert anyway.

He could hear small whisperings, and he had to process them for a second before realizing that they weren't coming from his head. They were real, and they were nearby him and Peach at that exact second. It shouldn't be a big deal though, since they might simply be Pi'illo folk that they missed.

"Look at them," one of the voices whispered. "I think we've found the missing people."

Mario and Peach shot their heads to where they heard the voices. Firebrand and her smoke was activated, ready for whatever attack may be coming for them.

He's never needed to fight anyone before, so he was quite shaken. He knew he needed to push through, though, as they needed to complete their job.

More coherent whisperings were heard, none that could be made out. Peach approached the bush to see who was there, while Mario simply watched and was ready in case she needed backup.

There was a moment of silence until she looked behind the bush at great speed, quickly turning them into pillows. Their bodies were overwhelmed by darkness, and their beings reside somewhere that is unknown to Mario.

There wasn't a moment to celebrate. He could feel hands being wrapped around his neck as if whoever behind him wanted to choke him, and he struggled to breathe for a second. He could feel them scratching the hell out of his neck and the top part of his back, and it took effort for him to not let out a scream.

He tried to elbow the attacker, and he seemed successful as they let go, letting Mario back away from them. Unsurprisingly, it was yet another Pi'illo folk who wanted to attack him and Peach.

He could tell his neck was bleeding from all of the dero scratches, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. When the blue Pi'illo charged at him once more, he quickly rolled out of the way and Peach grabbed them by their miniature arm. Mario watched as they struggled to break free after their poor attempt at kidnapping them.

"Nice try," Peach spoke to it, smirking. She seemed to hold it's wrist tightly, not allowing it to let go and escape.

The Pi'illo gritted their teeth, looking at her. "We're coming for you two, I promise…" they muttered.

Mario blinked. What does this mean? Why are they coming after them? Well… Maybe it is self-explanatory, as they're destroying their home.

But why did a feeling of relief linger within him?

Peach seemed confused also, but shook her head. "We don't need anyone coming for us, fool. Go save someone else." She brought up her hand and allowed smoke to take over their body, and they dropped to the ground as they turned into a pillow.

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. She quickly turned her head when she seemed to have made a realization. "O-Oh, Mario, your neck…"

"Hm?" He placed a hand on his neck and noticed the blood dripping from it. The scratches were deep enough to make him bleed out, but luckily it wasn't enough to make it seem too slit. He was bleeding quite a lot today.

"Here, let's get back to the castle…" she grabbed his arm and guided him through the woods. She slammed open the doors and walked to one of the other rooms where they would go to heal after rough missions.

Mario had a thought lingering inside of him, about what the other Pi'illo said to them. Apparently, the folks were coming to get them, which wasn't the strange and surprising fact.

There was a feeling of hope residing within his heart that he didn't understand. He wants to do these jobs, and he wants to help with what the boss was trying to accomplish, even if he didn't understand what it was himself.

He wanted this. He has so much power, who wouldn't like that? The jobs weren't anything eventful, and he would come home exhausted, but there's always trial and error to life.

His face turned grim. He truly didn't know. There were so many questions that he doesn't have answers to, a longing for someone or something to save him from this life he's been living through for six months. Or, was it six months? He may be losing track of time.

Maybe he wasn't satisfied with this life. He's been doing the same jobs for months, and he wants to see what his heart desperately wants. Money? Power? Love?

Freedom?

Peach sat him down on one of the chairs, grabbing a medical kit. She cleaned the wound with a rag, staying silent.

Mario wondered what she would think if she could read minds. Would she try to help him overcome these thoughts? Would she help him find what he was longing for? Would she slap him in the face, telling him that this is his life now and he should get used to it?

She was giving him mixed signals, but he would only have to wait longer to see who she really is, and how she sees Mario. Hopefully as someone she can trust to help her with missions.

She applied a liquid that made the wound sting, and he flinched, sharply moving his head back.

"Hey, hey, I know it hurts… Just sit still…" her gentle voice managed to calm him down more, and he put his head back toward, tightly closing his eyes.

There were a few more seconds of pain before she backed away, putting the piece of cloth aside. "Does that feel better?"

He nodded. Truly, it still felt uncomfortable, but he didn't want to sound like a brat with her healing him again. Besides, he has been through worse pain before. If he could survive excruciating headaches, he could survive a stingy neck.

Peach smirked before she gave him a peck on the neck. "Now, hopefully that should speed things up."

Mario let out a gasp, startled. He felt his cheeks steaming up as he looked down, fiddling with his hands. Peach? Kissed HIM? It sounded so unreal.

Before he could process it, she was already turning around and walking away. She walked out of the room without looking back, most likely going back to her bedroom.

He placed a hand on his neck, looking at the floor as he tried to process what happened. His heart fluttered, and a small smile formed on his face.

°~☆~°

There was a loud banging from his door one night, and Mario quickly shot awake, gasping.

The banging only grew louder and louder, and he scurried to the door and opened it, looking to see who it was. He expected it to be Peach with some sort of emergency.

He covered his mouth when he saw what was in front of him, seeing a figure that he has never seen before.

It seemed like some sort of bat, with spikes coming out of his head as he wore a red cloak. His hands were sharp, like he was ready to stab someone at any second. His eyes were yellow and deadly, looking directly at Mario like lasers. The most startling part of his appearance was that he seemed furious.

"Vou," the identity spoke. "Vou let a child run avay, didn't vou?"

"I-I…" Mario tried to form words. He couldn't tell what was happening, as he just woke up and a terrifying figure stood in front of him. "I don't know what…"

He stopped speaking when he remembered what happened so long ago. Mushrise Park, his mission was to eliminate all the Pi'illo folk there, and he let one of them run. It's what his heart told him to do, and he couldn't just deal with him so merciless.

The figure seemed to have noticed Mario's realization and growled. "Vou did. I believe the rules are vell known here, don't vou think? There were signs TAPPED ON YOUR DOOR warning vou of what would happen if the mission was failed."

Mario flinched at that exclamation. This must have been the boss. Antasma apparently was his name, as told by Peach. He was a lot more threatening than he'd imagine, much more scarier. He tried to form his words into an apology, but he couldn't force them out.

Antasma only sighed, using his claws to grab him by the wrist. Mario could feel the claws digging inside of him as he tried to pull away, but the grip was too strong.

"I have been going easy on vou, but perhaps I went var too easy," he mumbled, turning and dragging the distressed man behind him.

Mario struggled, trying to get out of his grip. "W-Wait, I'm sorry!" He pleaded, but he was simply ignored as he was being dragged like a bag of potatoes.

Was he going to be punished? His chest pounded as he pieced everything together. Is he going to have his game ended? Was he going to be hurt badly? His anxiety overwhelmed him.

He was brought somewhere underneath the castle, inside a room with a cell. He was shoved in there as Antasma put up a purple barrier to keep him trapped inside.

"Three months, you shall go through with vour punishment," he stated before turning around, walking out and closing the door behind him. At that moment, the room became completely dark, besides the faint light coming from a cell window. He couldn't even see his own body through the darkness, as he did blend well with it.

Mario quickly got up, starting to bang on the barrier. "W-Wait! Come back!" He yelled, his body filling with fear.

He made many attempts to break out. Punching, kicking, screaming some more, using his Firebrand, but nothing worked.

He'll be alone again. For three months. In a dark room. He fell down onto the floor and shook rapidly, not knowing what else to do as he felt helpless.

He won't see any flowers for a long time. He won't see Peach, or the sky, or any of the little things he enjoys in his life. He'll simply be trapped here inside the darkness, having nothing.

"Please…" he whispered as he learned against the barrier, his eyes watering. Staying in a dark room for three months sounds insufferable, and he wasn't ready to go through it yet.

He made a grave mistake letting that child go, and now he has to pay for it. They must have told the other remaining Pi'illos about the three, and the rumor spread to Antasma.

Mario leaned against the wall and hugged his knees, staring at the ground. His head spun, and his heart ached for some company.

It didn't take long for another headache to occur. He placed his hands on his head as he let the pain play out.

He heard some sort of cage unlock inside of this new vision. Someone with the same voice as Peach laughed and cheered as he could hear himself doing the same. He could imagine arms being wrapped around him, being pulled into a tight embrace.

Mario weakly smiled, slightly relaxing as the pain started to ease away and the vision of him and Peach together played through his mind.

°~☆~°

It was about a week later when he was first tossed into the cell, and about who-knows-how-long when he started working for Antasma.

Mario thought he was going to go crazy in here, doing nothing all day everyday besides staring at a wall.

Nothing eventful has happened yet, and he felt so bored. His head ached, but the visions he saw of him and Peach is what kept him sane. His Firebrand is what kept him warm.

He was sitting in the corner of his cell, his eyes tracing the corner in front of him. He stared at it blankly as he hugged his knees, hoping that someone would come for him soon.

Though, he didn't have his hopes up. He was glad that nothing worse has happened as his punishment, but he wishes he would be out there, doing missions with Peach and looking at the flowers again.

He tightly closed his eyes, trembling as he leaned against the icy cold wall. He wishes that anything, even anything as small as a butterfly, would come and visit him.

Being here all alone in the dark made him grow a fear of the darkness. He's afraid that someone– or something– would be lingering within there and try to hurt him. That's why, when he would sleep at night, he would turn his body to face the wall so he wouldn't have to look at the darkness before them.

It was a foolish fear, considering he works for darkness. He distinguishes the light and replaces it with despair and negativity. He's been doing it for months, but the fear is growing inside of him each night.

The light was… warm. Less fearful. It made him feel safe and protected. It was something to just easily look at and feel positivity. All he needs is some light to drag him out of the darkness.

Until in that moment, he heard someone knocking on the barrier. It was sudden as he quickly opened his eyes to see who was there, and a figure stood before him.

It was Peach, and she seemed so relieved to see him. She placed her hands on the barrier, grinning.

Mario had to blink to realize that this wasn't a hallucination. He crawled over, aligning his hands with hers, the only thing keeping them from touching is the purple, clear wall.

She seemed more different. Besides just her hair color change, her yellow eyes started to become darker, and her skin was starting to become paler. She wasn't the same in appearance, but he didn't mind. 

She blinked, focusing for a second before the wall disappeared, turning into sparkles before fading. And almost immediately, Mario hugged her, tightly. He never felt the strongest relief before, and his heart was beating his chest.

Peach was startled, but she managed to hug him back, gently. "You're alright now…" she whispered, softly. "Come on, let's go."

She stood up, helping him also. "I talked to the boss, and he said that I could let you go… As long as you don't let any children run free again."

He flinched. That was the reason why he was thrown in here. He still couldn't tell if that was the right or wrong thing to do, still. He still couldn't tell if working for Antasma was the correct or incorrect move, also.

Mario gently nodded his head, showing his understanding. She grabbed his hands and started to lead him out of the room. "We have a mission we need to do together. We need to obliterate Dozing Sands and…"

He didn't pay too much attention to what she was saying. His relief was clouding his mind, and Peach grabbing his hand only made him flustered. Though, he nodded to her statements and followed her outside and to Dozing Sands, his heart filled with love.

He thought back to the darkness and light he was thinking of earlier. He ended up being pulled out of the darkness, and it was replaced with light.

He blushed at a thought. If that was the case, then despite working for darkness… Was Peach his light? He looked over at her, her gentle face and calming voice forming butterflies in his stomach.

Maybe she was his light after all.

°~☆~°

It felt like a year ever since Mario first started working, and it was the first time since he got a break from working.

Currently, he was sitting in the sand on the beach, staring out at the ocean. He felt stressed after looking in the mirror this morning when he had his hair change from black to a dirty blonde, and his gloves were pure white.

He was starting to change, and he was worried about what would happen when he changed completely. He wondered what he would look like, and if the visions he was having would finally make sense.

But he didn't know. Was this change good? He didn't want to be confronted by Antasma again like what happened a few months ago. He didn't want to be thrown in the dungeon and be forced to face the darkness again.

He sighed, crossing his legs and facing the sand. Peach couldn't escape his mind. She was so gentle and sweet, and she certainly changed and became someone completely different than what she was when Mario first met her.

He poked his finger in the sand and drew a small heart. His head rested on his other hand, which rested against his leg. Another warm feeling grew inside of him as he looked at what he drew, and sighed.

He really did love her. She was the only person who he knew who didn't want to hurt him, and perhaps the same could be said for her. She was filled with so much beauty and grace, and he loved when she kissed his hands, his forehead, his cheek.

He closed his eyes, becoming lost in thought before he heard footsteps coming his direction. He quickly cleared off the heart he formed and turned to look at who came.

Low and behold came Peach, with a small patch of flowers in her hand. She went over and sat next to him, smiling. "Enjoying your day off, hm?"

Mario shrugged. There wasn't much to do, admittedly. He's never truly found a hobby liked to do, only things he could admire. Flowers, and Peach.

But, he did start to enjoy the ocean. The smell of the salty water, the sound of the waves crashing in the distance, it was hard to not enjoy it.

"Yes, same as I…" she looked out at the ocean also. "It's our first break, and… I always get the urge to find a Pi'illo, or destroy an area, or…" she seemed uncomfortable with saying that, like she was unsure whenever she really wanted to or not.

She shook her head and looked at him again. "Hehe, you're not really a talker… I got you some flowers anyway," she giggled. She took some of them and started to put them in his messy hair.

Mario blushed, looking down as he let Peach do so. He fiddled with his hands lightly as he felt her hands ruffle through his hair. It was relaxing, and he closed his eyes as he waited for her to be done.

She was so soft, and she would often pause and ask if she was being too rough. He would have to take a few seconds to register before he would say no, since she was so delicate.

She eventually stopped, backing away. He looked up and saw her staring at his hair for a second before her mouth twinkled.

"It's adorable…" she commented. "I chose the right flowers, I suppose."

He smiled a little before he looked into her eyes. There were pupils starting to form, and some blue started to pop out from them, while the yellow was fading into white.

She simply looked back at his eyes also, placing a hand on his cheek. Their faces were mere inches apart, and they were only becoming closer. He could hear her breathing from that close–slow and gentle.

Not a moment has passed before their lips touched, and they kissed.

Mario never predicted that this moment would come. He would have never even expected it. He thought it was some sort of fantasy that lingered in his mind, and he never expected that Peach would love him back. He thought that she saw him as a weak, strange guy who is afraid of darkness, despite working for darkness.

But, apparently she looked passed that. He placed a hand on the back of her head. His heart sailed, and his face burned up so much. She wondered if her slight laugh was from that, as her hand remained on his cheek.

The two pulled away after a few moments, and they simply looked at each other, amazed. Mario broke the silence by speaking, "Why…? Why me…?"

Peach weakly smiled. "Because you're so adorable, that's why." She held his face in her hands. "And… Because you mean a lot to me. More than you'll ever know. I couldn't get my mind off of you for months."

He looked down again, taking her hand and overlapping it with his. He never knew this. He wishes he was confident to tell his side of the story also, but he was still shocked from the fact that the person who he has loved for so long kissed him.

Peach continued, "When I heard you were taken away from Antasma, and when I saw you alone in that cage… I felt like I couldn't breathe. We worked together for so long, and I… I felt like we were meant to be… And I felt like I had these feelings for you for longer than about a year, like my whole lifetime."

He looked back up at her. "I-I'm glad you like me…" he whispered, softly. "I've been having three visions, especially back in the cage… Most of them were with you, about us being happy together…"

"Well, we can be happy together now, right?" She grinned, and he blushed as he agreed.

They looked over at the ocean and noticed the sun going over the ocean. They looked back at each other before Peach stated, "We should probably rest for the night… We'll have to go back to work tomorrow."

They both stood up, turning around and starting to walk back. Their hands stayed overlapped as they walked towards the castle. They were both hushed, but Mario didn't mind. He only appreciated her company, and he needed nothing else.

He closed his eyes and let her lead the way, relaxing at the slight wind that's out today. He could see the world becoming darker and darker. He couldn't see the destruction that the two have caused throughout the kingdom. There were no other signs of life besides the flowers, trees, and those two.

It was a moment of peace. Tranquility. Relief from earlier. He held her hand tightly, and she squeezed his.

"Now!"

Mario opened his eyes, but quickly felt multiple pairs of arms being wrapped around him. He felt someone covering his mouth, most likely to make his screams less audible. Their grip was so tight that he could feel himself being scratched, and he could feel himself becoming roped.

He saw Peach come and try to help him, but he saw Pi'illos coming after her and tying her body and hands up as well. She seemed to have attempted to yell for help from somewhere, but her mouth was quickly covered by mini hands.

He felt scared as he looked around at everyone. There were plenty of folks, too many for just him and Peach to fight against. He tightly closed his eyes, waiting for his game to be ended, or for someone to slap him, or bang his head against the floor.

One of the Pi'illos walked in front of him. A female wearing pink and a part of her pillow head tied like a ponytail. "Hey, just calm down… We're saving you, alright?"

Despite that comment, he was trembling as he looked at her. She seemed to have detected his fear, and he winced when the ropes around him only grew tighter. This didn't look like saving to him.

"Listen, we can't save you if you don't hold still," she explained. "We're not going to hurt you, 'kay?"

He looked down at the ground, trying to allow himself to breathe. He calmed down slightly, but was still shaking tremendously as he glanced up to see Peach being taken away.

The Pi'illo sighed and looked at the rest of them. "Yeah, do it," she spoke, and after a moment, the world started to become dark. He could feel himself weaken before he was sent to a sleep-like state, feeling his body being picked up by some force and carrying him away.

°~☆~°

He shot awake from a bed, letting out a gasp.

His breathing was rapid and he could feel his heart about to explode out of him as he quickly looked around the room. This wasn't the place he would usually wake up, in fact, it was completely different with a lighter and positive tone, with copper walls, a red and yellow carpet, and a wooden ceiling. He was laying on a small bed, but he still managed to fit due to his short size.

He placed a hand on his chest, trying to calm himself down. He stared down at the red blanket lying on top of him, trying to gather his thoughts. He remembered rope being tied around his body, and hands grabbing him everywhere.

He leaned back against the wall when he managed to calm down for a moment. His head felt sore, but he felt fine besides that.

A door on the other side of the room opened, and who appeared on the other side was another Pi'illo, looking more formal than the others with his red and yellow appearance.

Mario was about to activate his Firebrand, but nothing came out. He tried multiple times, focusing as much as he could, but there was no flame to appear on his hand.

Why, he didn't know. He looked back at the Pi'illo folk and scooted backwards a little, trying to think of some sort of plan.

"Relax," the Pi'illo put his hands up. "I am not here to hurt you."

His face turned grim as he commanded, "Who are you? And- And where's Peach?"

Oh, Grambi, he forgot about Peach. She could be in trouble right now. She could be getting hurt, her game could be ending right now, and–

"Princess Peach is alright," the Pi'illo approached him some more, which made Mario scoot back some more also. "And, ah, my name is Prince Dreambert of the Pi'illo Kingdom. Or island, whichever works for you."

He blinked at Dreambert's statement. Princess? Peach was a princess? That made him clench his fists, like it was supposed to be some obvious fact. There was something he wasn't being told, he could tell.

Also, this Pi'illo right in front of him is a prince? Of this kingdom? Mario wonders how he feels, watching all of his kingdom being destroyed and watching his citizens being turned into pillows.

"I understand that you may be bewildered over many things. With your loss of memory and internal conflict, I understand you may be quite… Well, overwhelmed." Dreambert explained.

That term was an understatement, but he let it go. He didn't exactly trust this person, after working against them for months and months, but he was curious about what he was going to say.

He wanted Dreambert to go on, and he did exactly that. "This may sound quite impossible, but what you are going to hear is the honest truth… You were in a battle with OUR formal enemy, Antasma. You and… Ehm, someone very dear to you, were trying to save my kingdom after he has broken free from his prison. You travelled everywhere, trying to save someone you care deeply about along with turning my citizens back from pillows to Pi'illos. And then, you finally fought Antasma…"

Dreambert's face tightened. "But, unfortunately, he got the upper hand. He put you under spell, using a woman you care deeply about to help manipulate you. And for a year, up until now, you and her have worked for him, unknowing that you have been working for the wrong side this whole time."

Mario leaned back in his seat, his shoulders heavy with weight. Was this prince telling him the truth? If so… What an insane story.

Could Peach be the person who he was trying to save during that adventure? And who was the other special person who helped him out? And why was Antasma doing such a rough tragedy to the kingdom?

His head started to hurt, and he winced. Dreambert noticed this and sighed. "You may not want to hear this, but we're going to need to put you back to sleep. It is to restore your lost memories and… Hm, to stop you from doing anything reckless while you're in this state."

"For how long…?" He asked, frowning deeply. He was already asleep long enough, and he feels a little lazy for it.

Dreambert shook his head, closing his eyes. "We're not sure… It would be a duration from days or months, it depends how much of your memory we need to recover."

Mario looked down at the ground, gently nodding. He didn't know if he should believe Dreambert or not. He can just lie to his face so simply and it wouldn't be known.

Though, he doesn't know what else he should do. If he were they to escape, they would probably catch him and trap him somewhere more secure.

He sighed, staring at the lines on the wall. He felt like a puppet on strings, with this whole memory loss situation.

He looked over at Dreambert and nodded. "Alright… I'll do it." If he had a choice in the first place, he wasn't sure.

"Excellent. Go ahead and lay down," Dreambert floated towards him as Mario laid down, staring up at the ceiling.

He hoped that the recovery wouldn't take long, and that Peach was safe. He hoped he wouldn't be manipulated to live another life in a lie. He tensed up a little from these thoughts.

Dreambert placed a hand on his head, and he could feel himself starting to drift off, his worrying starting to fade. Before he could think anymore thoughts, he fell asleep, sleeping for an amount of time he wasn't sure if.

°~☆~°

Mario stirred awake.

He placed a hand on his head as he slowly sat up, glancing around the area. He lightly squinted from the sunlight coming out of the window, shielding himself with his red shirt and white gloves.

His head was fuzzy as he rubbed his eyes, seeing a blanket that covered his blue overalls and brown boots. He tried processing his thoughts, wondering how he ended up on this bed.

He blinked, turning his head when he saw a figure sleeping besides him. A woman with blonde hair, wearing a pink dress. The princess.

His face steamed up as he turned his head away, grabbing his hat and fiddling with it. He wasn't sleeping with her, was he? He attempted to relax himself as he tried gathering his thoughts once again.

He remembered. The Pi'illo Kingdom was in trouble, so Mario and Luigi went to save it. They hopped through dream worlds to save Pi'illo folks and find clues to where the princess is. Bowser and Antasma teamed up, Mario fought Antasma… He was weakened, and he remembered seeing the princess…

The rest was a blur to him. But, he feels like it shouldn't be, like a memory was in front of him, yet out of reach. Though, perhaps it didn't matter and it was simply nothing, considering Mario has just woken up.

But what has happened afterwards? When he was weakened, and Antasma manipulated him? Was the kingdom saved? Was the princess alright? Where was Luigi?

He was confused. He hugged his legs and stared down at his cap, not knowing what to do. Maybe he should stay here and watch over Peach, protect her from any harm like he always has done.

Mario leaned against the wall behind him and closed his eyes, letting his mind become lost in thought. He didn't know where everyone was, but they must be doing fine. Everything seemed peaceful, the world outside was bright, maybe the world was saved while he was in a strange, sleeping state.

It seemed accurate enough. For some reason, he seemed too tired to think about it at the moment. He let himself become settled before–

"Mario?"

He opened his eyes and looked next to him, seeing Princess Peach look up at him, sleepily. His mind first resorted to thinking about how awkward this should have been, and he quickly sat up in discomfort.

"Hello, your majesty…" he weakly smiled, trying to act mature enough. "Did I wake you?"

She sat up also and looked for her crown, placing it on her head. It seemed to be in a way so she wouldn't look at him, because she hasn't even glanced at him yet. "Um, ah, no. It's alright."

"Good…" Mario looked away and faced the ground. "Do you… know what happened? Why were we sleeping?"

She seemed to think about that question before she made her response. "Our memories were being restored… Because of Antasma taking them away, and…"

He was confused. "What do you mean? Our memories were gone?"

Maybe he was still tired, but he couldn't remember anything in between the battle and them waking up. A feeling lingered inside of him that he should know what she was talking about.

Peach frowned for a second. "Ah, you don't remember?" She questioned. "I thought you would, it has been a year, after all…"

"A-A year? Of what?" Mario blinked. How could he simply lose a year of his memories? "What happened during that year?"

She thought and blushed after a moment, looking away. "Hm… Well… Do you at least remember the time where you fought against Antasma? He put the both of us under a spell, and we have worked under him for a very long time…"

She proceeded to explain the basic genesis of what happened. The two lost their memories, they worked under Antasma to destroy the kingdom, and so on. She seemed to have had something else in her mind that she wouldn't tell him, but he didn't pay too much attention to that. What stood out to him the most was that he went so suddenly from being a hero and turned into a villian. He was the cause of all these Pi'illos that he and Luigi struggled to save then turned back into pillows, causing them more suffering again.

He's never had an urge to go about and destroy the world. In fact, as a hero, he would never do that in a thousand years. He wanted to protect the world, even if it could be exhausting at times. He wanted to be by his friends' side, his brother, his princess.

Well, at least in his normal state. He gritted his teeth at the thought of changing his life for evil, and everyone he loves starting to hate him. It was a terrifying thought.

"Where's Antasma now?" He said, glancing over at Peach and he brought himself out of his thoughts.

She glanced at Mario, sighing. "I admittedly don't have a clue. I only woke up now. Though, I do assume that he may be defeated, since he no longer has help or protection from us."

When she made her point, the door from across the room swung open, and a few people had walked in. They turned their heads to see who had walked in.

First was Prince Dreambert, who held the door open while Luigi and a few Toads and Toadsworth walked in also. Each of their eyes widened when they saw the two awake in their bed.

Luigi basically broke down when he saw his elder brother. He went over and pulled him into a hug and exclaimed how much he missed him, and was sorry for not being strong enough to provide more protection.

"I'm s-so sorry, bro!" The hero in green exclaimed. "I should have been stronger… I shouldn't have just sat there and watched you as you…"

Mario's face tightened. Did he really inflict this much pain towards people? He knows his brother tends to get emotional, but he doesn't know if he has ever seen him so broken before.

"No no, it's alright… It's not your fault…" he simply stated. He didn't know what else to say, as he still couldn't remember anything of what happened. "I'm okay now, see?"

Toadsworth almost passed out from relief when he saw the look of his princess, and he pointed his staff at her while lecturing her about how she should be more careful next time before entering portals and stirring more trouble. Peach weakly laughed it off.

"So, what happened with Antasma?" Peach looked over at Dreambert. "Is he defeated?"

The prince nodded in response. "Yes, he is. He is trapped in the dream world for good this time. And, ah… We used the dream stone to turn everything back to normal, like he hasn't escaped in the first place."

Mario pouted. "I still don't understand…" he mumbled. "Why did I lose my memory, but the princess still has hers?"

"I guess people with more than two brain cells get to keep their memories," Luigi joked before snorting, and Mario elbowed him. "What? It's true!"

"He's technically not wrong, actually," Dreambert pointed out. "It does depend on the body, I presume. It does not work on everyone."

Mario's face fell. "You're kidding."

"And how long were we asleep?" Peach continued, seeming concerned for what question. "Days? Weeks?"

"Months. About three, exactly." Luigi spoke. "During that time, we had what felt like a revolutionary war between us and Antasma."

Mario nodded in understanding. "Okay… So, can we go home yet?" The thought of going back to his home did sound lovely. He didn't enjoy this extended vacation as much as he hoped, this place would only be a reminder of his weak mindset and how he was a contributor to trying to destroy the world. Ironic.

Luigi spoke up, "I'll book a flight for tomorrow night, if you'd like."

"Alright. For now, I think we all need to settle down for a moment," Dreambert pointed out. "It's been a very eventful year, hm?"

Mario wanted to talk to Peach more about what happened during the duration of the year, but before he could, she'd practically been dragged away by Toadsworth, and Luigi insisted on coming back to a hotel room with him. He couldn't argue, he does feel the need to regroup his thoughts first.

He found it quite unfair that he couldn't remember anything from the past year. Though, he didn't know if he wanted to. He'd imagine it would be too unbearable to remember all the suffering he must have caused.

Most of the Pi'illos might end up seeing him as some sort of horrible figure that caused misery to the kingdom, and he doesn't blame them. He feels too nervous about even showing his face to them. He wonders how Luigi could forgive him.

The thoughts made Mario exhausted. So, almost immediately when he arrived at the room, he collapsed right onto his bed and dozed off into sleep, hopefully not one that would take him months to wake up from, an event that some people in the kingdom may appreciate.

°~☆~°

It was hours later, and Mario heard a knock on the door.

He looked over at the time on the table next to him, realizing it was late in the afternoon. He blinked to process it, it was strange that he was so exhausted after sleeping for two months straight.

Maybe he was just mentally tired from everything that has happened. He knew, for a while now, that sleeping was a manageable way to push back pain. Or, in this case, the surreal fact of him destroying the world.

He couldn't see Luigi anywhere, so maybe he went off. He wasn't entirely worried, he knew his brother could take care of himself. Perhaps he was helping with recovering all the other Pi'illos.

Mario heard a gentle knock on the door again, and he got off of the bed before going over to the door, answering it.

He looked at the visitor before his eyes widened. "Oh-! Princess!" He exclaimed, looking at the woman in pink.

She was the last person he's expect to be here. He thought she would be better with other important matters, or at least stuck with Toadsworth.

Not that he minded her company, though. It was always a pleasure to be around her. He does wish he had the confidence to tell her that, though.

The princess smiled. "Hello… Do you mind joining me at the beach for a bit?"

She seemed quite unsettled, her gloved fingers fiddling with each other and her positive expression seeming more forced. It was obvious to see that she had something on her mind.

It wasn't a problem, though. Perhaps she just wanted some company or someone to talk to.

Mario could tell that it may have had something to do from the latest incident. He didn't enjoy making assumptions, though.

He quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, of course! Shall we get going…?"

She looked at him, hesitating before speaking. "Okay. Well then, let's get going."

As usual, her hand was gently held, in a protective way as Mario closed the door and led her down the hallway. It was usually a movement that came natural, taking her hand like that. But still, he still couldn't help but blush slightly when he did so.

He led her out of the room and out of the hotel part of the Pi'illo Castle. It was a quiet walk, when Mario looked up at her for a split second, she didn't seem like she wanted to talk about anything at the moment. She seemed to have only wanted his company, and all he wanted to do was provide it for her.

It was practically dark when they walked outside, and the blanket of stars were glimmering in the sky. Though, the town still remained bright and filled with colors, with all of the lights and decorations keeping the town glowing. The bright lights within the darkness.

His breathing hitched as he looked down at Peach's hand overlapping hers. There was something about that thought that was so familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

It took a few minutes, but they arrived at Driftwood Shore. Not many people were on the beach tonight, most were walking home to their respective hotel rooms.

Mario stopped, but Peach kept walking closer to the ocean, looking out at it. Her eyes seemed lost, like she was revisiting a memory that was engraved in her mind.

He should know, the same happens to him at times, especially during adventures where he loses loved ones, or he was on the verge of ending his game… or ending the world.

He would ask what's the bother, but he was scared of making her upset if she had to explain anything. He only walked besides her, sitting down on the sand as he stared out at the horizontal line which meets the sky and ocean. 

She noticed and sat down besides him also, flattening out her dress. She kept herself staring at the endless sea before he heard her chuckle, her face turning into a light shade of pink.

"Watcha thinking about?" He finally questioned, not being able to contain his curiosity.

The princess only shook her head, keeping her eye contact away from him. "Oh, uhm… Just a funny memory, I suppose…"

It felt like there was more she was keeping away from him, but he decided not to bother. After all, there was a question in his mind that he wanted to ask her, one that was bothering him.

"If you don't mind me asking… Was there anything else that happened during that year?" He glanced over at her. "Or was it all just…"

Peach looked down at the ground. "Quite a few, actually… Uhm…" she rested a hand upon her dress, tracing a finger over the fabric. "I believe Antasma tossed you into a cage after you failed to follow orders…"

Her face tightened, placing her other hand on the sand to keep her balance. "You saved a child, and that child told everyone else about what was happening, and… He didn't like that very much."

"Oh…" Mario looked down at the billions grains of sand across the beach. Even under a spell, where his life may have depended on serving for evil, he couldn't follow tasks? "How silly of me…"

She shook her head. "No no, I found that very admirable," she explained, moving her hand over to place on his, perhaps to provide comfort. "Even when you have fallen under a spell, when every fragment of your light has seemed to fade… Oh, you were still the kindest soul I know…"

His face only heated up again. "How come…?" He asked, curiously.

"Well…" she began, "Every flower you saw, you were so gentle with." Her voice softened at the next part. "And even after some of the things I have done, you treated me with kindness. You helped me so, so much…"

Even Mario knew it wasn't a trait that could easily go away from him. He always wanted to be loyal and kind to the people who deserved it, to the people who he thought deserved a second chance, or to the people who he hasn't even met before. Even if he wouldn't get the same treatment in return.

It could be considered foolish, or that his strings were easy to pull on. Peach was different. To her, it was admirable and kind-hearted. Mario could never understand how she could see everything so positive in such a way. He found that admirable, also.

"...Thanks," he murmured, looking away to avoid blushing even more. "That means a lot more than you know…"

"Of course." She nodded.

The two continued to talk. Not about any specific topic, and nothing that was serious. It would be anything that would make them laugh or fill them up with a warm feeling. It was nothing serious that would make them upset. Besides, Mario knew that it wasn't something she needed right now. Not after she has been unintentionally working for evil.

The way she giggled, her gentle voice when she spoke to him. All tension was relieved, and he felt like he was floating. He so desperately wished he could tell her his feelings. He wished he could explain how he wanted to make her happy all the time, to be a personal guard to remove all of those negative feelings. How his heart fluttered when he saw her, the reason why his face turned red at even the smallest gestures.

"Ah, dear? You seem sleepy…" Peach pointed out, looking at him. "You would like to sleep, yes?"

Mario glanced at her and gently nodded. "But I don't want to leave you when you're still upset…"

She raised her eyebrows at that comment, but she smirked as she shook her head. He could feel himself being pulled into her embrace, and he hasn't felt so protected before.

"You just being here is enough…" she whispered. "At least rest for a moment, sleepyhead?" She giggled, rubbing his back in such a soothing way.

He could feel himself drifting off. No matter how hard he could fight this feeling, he couldn't open his eyes anymore. The sound of the ocean's waves and her hand moving against his back made him fall asleep so easily.

"Rest…" she muttered. It was the last thing he could hear before he let his dreams consume him.

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to get out of my comfort zone and write a story a little longer than usual. It's also an excuse to post something on Mar10 so here we are lol, I hope you enjoyed :>


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